Christmas Babysitter
by Lady Marauders4
Summary: This is just a little Christmas drabble that takes place in an AU where the Potters were never discovered and Dumbledore defeated Voldemort instead. How would Harry and Dumbledore get along? How would the Potter parents feel about Dumbledore? This is NOT A BASHING—It is supposed to be a sweet little one shot.


A/N::: This is just a little one shot, a "what if" that touches on what if Dumbledore had protected the Potters personally and then gone on to defeat Voldemort personally? Or somewhat personally.

* * *

The street they lived on was covered in snow that nearly glowed as the sun neared the bottom of the sky. The roads and walkways had been shoveled clear earlier that day, but the new layers made it so you could not see the asphalt anyway. All of the houses were also covered in snow, but unlike the street, they also were covered in bright lights the owners had put up to celebrate the holiday that was taking place that very day. Indeed, inside every house brightly lit Christmas trees with families flitting about could be seen through the day. That morning the church had reached its peak of activity, the around lunch all the neighbors had been about greeting their friends and children played and made snowmen into the afternoon. However that had slowed to a stop as people went home, muggles to make dinner and wizards to attend various Christmas parties.

It was around 4:30 in the afternoon when a couple appeared on the porch of a rather cozy cottage, dressed in expensive, if a bit odd, finery. Their fancy robes were remarkably out of place in the era they lived, but natural on them, and not wholly abnormal for the town. The man, medium sized, almost 6 feet, had a rather amused look on his face, highlighted by merry hazel eyes, unruly black hair, and round black glasses. The woman, again medium sized (5'5 this time), had dark, flowing red hair, emerald green eyes, and an undoubtedly proud posture.

James and Lily Potter did not notice anything around them, for they were too focused on the boy behind them. Their son, Harry, even at age 5 was a copy of his father down to the glasses, except for one very noticeable detail, he had striking emerald eyes, like his mother.

"Harry, _behave _yourself tonight!" Harry, unlike his parents, was not dressed in finery, or even robes, no, he was wearing trousers and a Christmas jumper. His mother continued, "We will pick you up tomorrow morning, I promise, but you must be good for grandpa, he is giving up his own chance to attend a Christmas party, so he can stay with you tonight."

Harry, who had been looking rather disgruntled, with his face in a pout, brightened upon hearing who had been chosen as his sitter for the night. "Grandpa?" He asked for confirmation.

James Potter spoke for the first time, "Yes, Grandpa."

Harry was suddenly perfectly happy with the plans for the night, after all, his "Grandpa" was a very important man, and rarely had time to be with him, so he treasured anytime he could get with the man accordingly. He grabbed his parents hands. "What are we waiting for then!?" He demanded as he began to pull them down the street.

Both adults grinned at their son's antics and allowed themselves to be led four houses down the road. Suddenly, upon reaching the front gate of a blue cottage that was decorated for only the third year in a row, after going decades without habitation, the group stopped.

James opened the gate and Harry bolted up the path, his parents following at a more sedate pace. Harry rammed the doorbell.

The group did not have to wait long. The door was opened to reveal a very tall man, one who towered over the entire group, he had to be at least 6'8, with long silver hair and an equally long silver beard that could easily be tucked into his belt. He wore half moon spectacles that did nothing to hide twinkling blue eyes that seemed to brighten as he scanned the group for a brief second.

"James, Lily! Do come in for a moment!" Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, Order of Merlin, first class, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, Supreme Mugwump of the ICW, and the Defeater of both Grindelwald and Voldemort, invited them. They stepped into the warmly lit hall and Harry excitedly bounced by both of his parents and up to the great wizard himself.

"Grandpa!" He exclaimed with childish glee that only people under a certain age could seem to achieve. This was the only warning Albus got before the boy jumped onto him and clung on like his life depended on it.

Albus caught him with ease, however, as if this happened often. Which it rather did, seeing as this was how the boy had greeted him since he was old enough to do so.

"Harry, how are you my boy?" Albus exclaimed brightly, as he placed the boy on his hip.

"I'm good!" He grinned, "What are we gonna do?" He demanded with an expectant look.

"Well, I was hoping to get some paperwork done…" Albus said with a thoughtful frown.

Harry's face fell, "What?" He sounded aghast, "But that's _boring_, Grandpa."

Albus' beard twitched suspiciously, "Well, then what would you rather do? Research?"

Harry looked horrified, "Something fun!"

"That is fun." Albus answered sagely.

"S'not fun Grandpa!" Harry vehemently disagreed.

"Is too."

"Is not!"

"Yes it is!"

"No it's _not!_"

"Is!"

"Not!"

Albus was smiling broadly by this point and both Lily and James were struggling to keep their laughter quiet. The mighty leader of light indeed.

Harry, too, noticed the mirth on his honorary Grandpa's face and changed from aghast to indignant. "You're having me on!"

"Indeed, my boy, I was not planning on doing work tonight, in fact, I was rather hoping to do another, more important task, but I will be needing your help...that is if you are interested in helping an old man sort through all of the sweets he has received for Christmas?"

Harry's face lit up, with his Grandpa he knew that was code for eat a lot of sugar. "Yeah!" He cheered.

Albus chuckled and shifted his attention to the boy's parents. "And how have Mr. and Mrs. Potter been?"

James answered for both of them, "Fine, Professor, and yourself?"

Albus smiled, "How many times must I tell you to call me Albus? But I digress...I have been well, without a certain group of marauders about or a dark lord, it has been quiet at the school."

"That's good, you deserve it, Albus." Lily told him sincerely, "But don't spoil Harry too much." She warned.

His eyes twinkled as he regarded his honorary grandson. "I believe I have earned the right to spoil him, it's quite enjoyable to have one to share hobbies with."

"He hasn't defeated two dark lords, won countless Order of Merlins, invented or discovered enough things and spells to have his own encyclopedia full of them, or saved the world several times over, he needs _earn_ the right to be spoiled." She retorted drily.

"Hey!" Harry exclaimed indignantly. "No fair!"

Albus winked at him, "Well, _I _certainly wouldn't have defeated two dark lords without him, in fact, I would argue that we have each defeated one!"

"Yeah! I helped beat Vol-Volda-"

"Voldemort?" His honorary Grandfather supplied.

"Yeah him!" Harry concluded.

James laughed, "No kidding."

Lily frowned slightly. "I thought we agreed that Harry didn't need to grow up with that, seeing as that isn't going to help him in the future?"

"It's fine Lils." James soothed. "Harry understands what happened, so why we can't talk about it?"

Harry nodded vigorously at that, "Yeah, Mum!"

Lily only sighed and reached over to brush the hair out of her son's eyes. "Yes, but I worry about you."

Harry rolled his eyes slightly, "Mum, don't, Grandpa will protect me." He wrapped his arms around Albus's neck.

James eye twitched slightly at that, "So will we." He reminded him, "When Grandpa isn't here."

Albus wisely did not interject. Ever since that night two and years ago, when Voldemort had come to Godric's Hollow, Harry seemed to idolize and rely more and more on him for protection and less on James. He knew this bothered James more than he cared to admit, and Lily was torn on the matter herself. Albus did not mind, many people relied on him to protect them, and he would rather spend time with Harry than most other people. He really did love the boy, something rather unusual for him. Or maybe he simply felt a connection to him, having defeated Voldemort to protect him, but only being able because the boy had done something, something that had ultimately saved his life. A double life debt.

Lily's comment was more accepting of Albus as someone Harry was attached to. "And I worry about Grandpa too."

Harry giggled and Albus gave her a mock affronted look. "Me?"

"Yes, _you_, Grandpa. Professor doesn't-slow-down-no-matter-what-his-age-says Dumbledore." Lily retorted.

"Age is only a number and I am positively middle aged for my life expectancy anyway!" Albus exclaimed buoyantly.

Lily snorted and Harry giggled and tugged Albus's hair lightly to get his attention, "Grandpa, she's gonna start making you eat veggies and go to bed at 8 next!"

"You'll never get me!" Albus exclaimed in mock horror.

Lily raised a wholly unimpressed eyebrow, "I am beginning to wonder if this was a good idea after all, James."

"They won't get in any more trouble than otherwise acceptable." James said with a touch of his inner prankster shining through.

"Says the Marauder!" Lily sighed. She turned to her son and Albus, "You better both be in one piece tomorrow, presentable, and I better not see either of you in the paper or Azkaban, either."

"We promise to be good Mum!" Harry said, obviously insincere.

"Don't worry, Lily, we'll take care." Albus assured her, serious for once.

She nodded at him and kissed her son on the head. James followed behind her and reminded his son to "be good for Grandpa" on his way out.

As soon as the door clicked shut, Albus shifted so he and Harry were face to face. "You know, I have yet to use the cookie dough I was given this year."

"I can make cookies!" Harry offered helpfully, looking excited at the prospect and less than half an hour later, both males were in the kitchen, covered in flour and singing off tune Christmas carols with the wireless.


End file.
